Denver University defeats Western Michigan 3-2 in second overtime of NCAA hockey opener

Mike Roemer | Special to the Kalamazoo GazetteWestern Michigan University goaltender Jerry Kuhn lays on the ice in dejection as Denver University's Luke Salazar celebrates the Pioneers' double overtime win in the NCAA tournament Saturday night.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Western Michigan University hockey team has been quick to learn from a lesson and respond this season.

The Broncos will have six months to learn from this one.

Leading Denver University 2-0 in the third
period of Saturday’s Midwest Regional semifinal in the NCAA tournament,
Western
Michigan saw the Pioneers score two goals in the final five
minutes of regulation to tie the score and win 3-2 in double overtime.

Denver’s Jason Zucker scored 11:14 into the second overtime to seal the win.

Denver advances to today’s regional championship game and will face North Dakota at 5:30 p.m. for the right to advance to
the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

WMU (19-13-10) forced Denver (25-11-5) into its scrappy style of play for most of the game and established a physical tone
that overwhelmed the Pioneers at times.

However, Denver got back to its roots as a highly-skilled offensive team and capitalized on a pair of chances after missing
on a handful through the first two periods.

Kyle Ostrow pulled Denver within a score when he netted a power-play goal with 4:29 remaining in the game, and Matt Donovan
fired in the tying goal with a rocket of a shot from the blue line near WMU’s bench that found its way through traffic and
past WMU goalie Jerry Kuhn with 2:36 remaining in regulation.

Western Michigan scored the game’s first
goal following a bad puck exchange between Denver goalie Sam Brittain
and a defenseman
in front of the net. Brittain seemed to think the defenseman was
going to take the puck and the defenseman skated past him,
leaving the puck ripe for the picking.

Ben Warda, who suffered a knee injury during a scrimmage in the week off before the Ferris State series and was ruled out
for the playoffs, charged the puck and fired a weak shot that Brittain deflected.

Derek Roehl was charging in behind Ward and buried the rebound with 6:43 remaining in the second period.

Trevor Elias put WMU ahead by two scores 3:32 into the third period when he fired in a shot after rebounding his own miss.